YMCA Reviews

Pros

The people you meet at the YMCA are great and all ages. You can definitely learn good leadership skills as well as work on your communication and customer service skills.

Cons

They kept everyone just under full time so no benefits were paid. I worked until 10pm and sometimes at 5am. It is not a place to work if you are looking for wealth.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your employees, miscommunication can be one of the biggest downfalls of a company.

Pros

The atmosphere is great. Co-workers are friendly and management is great.

Cons

Very few full time postions.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire less part time employees and increase available hours to work. The hours don't have to be full time hours but more than what is currently available.

Pros

Interacting with all the wonderful members is the highlight. Being able to serve them is a pleasure and a priviledge! Working at the Y is fun when the time spent is with the members.

You do get a discounted or free membership depending upon your family status which is nice.

Pay is horrible with no raises or very, very small ones when they are given.

Big inequality with pay from hourly workers and management.

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Cons

Horrible Communication from Management. Ineffective Management, provides horrible pay,and inquality in job promotions. Work/Family Balance is not acknowledged in scheduling. Training is thrown at you without much thought or preparation. Very unorganized, schedules constantly changing and then shift and schdule changes and demands are made upon hourly staff at a very short notice to not allow staff to adjust.

Computer system is horribly outdated. Our work that we perform could be greatly increased with a more updated and more reliable computer system, policies and procedures

Advice to Senior Management

Look into management at this Y. Your worker bees are truly dedicated and a few management there area also, but the management staff there lacks training in customer service and providing real leadership . The pay that the member service representatives and Greeter/Scanners make is horrible while management who if they performed their jobs would be entitled to their salaries, however, it is ther entitlement mentality and lack of work ethic and leadership skills that in the end, make them over paid. They treat employees like they are numbers and not people. For an organization that is going through a "Branding" Change, apparently that also means they are not going to be embracing the qualities and standards the YMCA was founded upon. Maybe you may want to look into this?

Pros

Great co-workers at my branch, our executive director really did a great job running the branch, positive organization to work for providing community outreach

Cons

Communication between departments was lacking at my branch, some managers were barely ever working, younger employees sometimes were not treated with respect by older members

Advice to Senior Management

Spend a little more time hiring staff that is willing to actually work and not just hangout letting other people do the work

Pros

A lot of opportunity to get know the communities.

Cons

Management was atrocious. Several staff members in postiions if power were rude, dismissive and several occasions emotionally abusive. Any issues brought to them including some very serious ones were dismissed.

Advice to Senior Management

A better structue needs to be in place so that employees are treated fairly.

Pros

I liked the fact that they had classes to hone your life saving skills. The YMCA that I worked at also gave classes to certify you in your required areas.

Cons

I found that there was trust issues between the different levels of management. This lead to confusion on my level.

Pros

Working with people who like their job. Working with kids.

Cons

The pay could be better.

Pros

A good summer job to be with some friends and make a little money.

Cons

Administration was very bureaucratic, and I didn't agree with swim lesson practices

Pros

It becomes a family. Good first job.

Cons

Used to be laid back, now it's really uptight

Pros

If you are eager to learn and show you're capable, then they'll share their knowledge.
The staff is generally very friendly!
The directors want to help you grow as a person.

Cons

It is difficult to move up at the Y, unless you have great connections or have worked there for several years.
The management play favorites.
It is highly likely that a position you are qualified for and capable of will be given to someone else with much less knowledge, but have better connections.

Advice to Senior Management

It is understandable to give a position to someone with more knowledge or experience, however, you should allow the staff to grow within the organization too. If you don't give them the opportunity to prove themselves or let them move up in the organization, how can they learn and get qualified for the position(s) they desire?